Pressure is on to deliver windfall

Not only do I remain convinced that England will reach the World Cup finals, I am one of the few people who happen to know beyond any doubt that they are still capable of winning the tournament. In fact, I have already recorded the commentary for the trophy presentation to David Beckham. In my dreams?

No, in a studio in London this very week. Further to that, I can reveal that Scotland can also become world champions. And Rwanda too. Indeed, anything will be possible when the official World Cup video game is released next spring.

The only problem with the virtual world in which even Sven-Goran Eriksson has the capacity to be a national hero is that it will lose much of its commercial appeal if England are not playing at the real finals. World Cup PlayStation games will be selling about as quickly as England replica kits if the qualifying campaign turns pear-shaped.

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The small screen in the corner of your living room will be full of adverts featuring Ronaldinho, the big screens in the nation's sports bars will again be showing cricket. Sven and Nancy will be holidaying on Neptune if they have any sense at all.

The Olympic Games may be the biggest sporting event on the planet, but the World Cup is the biggest money-spinner. It's an industry. If you want to get through next summer without allowing the official logo of the tournament onto your property, you will probably have to abstain from eating, drinking, driving and shaving. If the England players can invite themselves to the party, they will be handed the key to a treasure chest of endorsements and promotional opportunities.

If they miss out, they can each wave goodbye to £500,000. Minimum.

But if that is not enough motivation to send them to their beds early tonight, British capitalism is depending on them too. Well, a few billions, and maybe even some jobs.

Much as I've enjoyed the rather surreal experience of delivering the imaginary commentary soundtrack to EA Sports' World Cup 2006 game, they are paying me for my clichés. Electronic Arts are one of many brand leaders that have invested heavily in World Cup products, licences, promotions and rights. If any of their major markets fail to catch football fever next year, they will catch a bit of a cold themselves. Nobody will be cheering England as loudly as my employers at ITV. We share the screening of next year's finals with the BBC, having secured the rights shortly before the last World Cup for what was believed to be something in the region of £50 million. The big difference between the terrestrial broadcast partners is that ITV have got to try to get their money back.

Unlike the finals in the Far East, this tournament will be played out in prime time television schedules. One media analyst I have spoken to put the difference in television advertising revenue from a World Cup with and without England at £250 million.

Then spare a thought for England's kit manufacturers, Umbro. They will be launching a new red away strip in March. If the England players are not modelling it on the turfed catwalks of Berlin and Munich next summer, Umbro believe they can write off a quarter of their annual turnover. They held a photo shoot with the squad a couple of days ago to the sound of somewhat nervous laughter. At least the team's World Cup single may never be released. Some consolation.

If your sympathy for these victims of free enterprise has not already been stretched beyond breaking point, let us not forget the travel operators and corporate hospitality providers that have been hoovering up hotel rooms and match tickets since Fifa put them on sale in February.

The Football Association have four commercial 'partners' that have parted with around £20 million to bask in the reflected glory predicted for England's finest generation of footballers for decades.

And think of all that beer we won't have quite such a good excuse to consume without some serious supporting to do.

Even the German economy will suffer without a visit from their favourite fellow Europeans, and most important of all, the national game will miss an opportunity to refresh its love affair with the English public that would dwarf the hysteria levels created by Andrew Flintoff and Co this year. So my message to the England players is do your best to fulfil the prophecy I have recorded for the computer game. Hey, and no pressure, lads.